Casey Wasserman Plans Agency Sale Amid Epstein Fallout/ newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Casey Wasserman is moving to sell his talent agency after backlash tied to newly released Jeffrey Epstein files. Wasserman said he had limited past interactions with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and denied wrongdoing. The controversy has led to client departures and increased pressure on his leadership roles.
Casey Wasserman Selling Agency After Epstein Files Quick Looks
- Internal memo confirms company sale process underway.
- DOJ files reveal deeper past ties to Ghislaine Maxwell.
- Wasserman denies criminal wrongdoing.
- Pressure mounted from clients and investors.
- Artists including Chappell Roan, Orville Peck and Weyes Blood depart.
- Wasserman chairs LA 2028 Olympic organizing committee.
Deep Look: Casey Wasserman Plans Agency Sale Amid Epstein Fallout
Hollywood power broker Casey Wasserman is putting his entertainment and sports agency up for sale after facing mounting backlash tied to newly released Justice Department documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Wasserman, chairman of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, informed staff in an internal memo Friday that he has begun the process of selling the company he founded, saying his continued presence has become a liability.
“I have become a distraction to our efforts,” Wasserman wrote in the memo, which was obtained by CNN. “That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway.”
Fallout From Newly Released Files
The decision follows the Justice Department’s release last month of additional documents related to its investigations into Epstein. The materials revealed more detailed communications between Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
According to the files, Wasserman flew on Epstein’s private jet and exchanged suggestive messages with Maxwell. The disclosures triggered public scrutiny and internal pressure from talent clients and business partners.
Wasserman has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein. Representatives for Wasserman have not publicly commented beyond prior statements, and CNN reported that a crisis communications firm is representing him.
In Friday’s memo, Wasserman characterized his involvement as limited and occurring decades ago.
“It was years before their criminal conduct came to light,” he wrote. He described his contact as including a humanitarian trip to Africa and a handful of emails that he said he regrets sending. “I’m heartbroken that my brief contact with them 23 years ago has caused you, this company, and its clients so much hardship.”
Investor and Client Pressure
Sources familiar with the matter told CNN that investors in the agency were increasingly concerned about reputational damage and urged Wasserman to take action.
The fallout has already had business consequences. Several high-profile artists have cut ties with the agency since the documents were made public. Singer Chappell Roan announced her departure shortly after the revelations, followed by Orville Peck and singer-songwriter Weyes Blood, among others.
In an earlier statement reported by The Associated Press, Wasserman said he never had a personal or business relationship with Epstein beyond a 2002 humanitarian trip conducted as part of a delegation affiliated with the Clinton Foundation.
“I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them,” he said in that statement, emphasizing that his communications with Maxwell occurred more than two decades ago.
Epstein’s History and Renewed Scrutiny
Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged criminal conduct first drew national attention in 2005 when underage girls accused him of paying for sexual acts at his Florida mansion. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to state prostitution charges and served 13 months in prison. In 2019, he was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges and later died by suicide while awaiting trial.
The Justice Department’s latest release of files has reignited scrutiny of individuals who had contact with Epstein and Maxwell, even if no criminal allegations have been made against them.
Olympic Leadership Questions
Wasserman’s role as chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic organizing committee has also drawn attention amid the controversy. While there has been no official announcement regarding his Olympic position, some critics have called for him to step aside from that leadership role as well.
For now, Wasserman’s focus appears to be on separating himself from the agency he founded in an effort to limit further damage to the company and its clients.
The sale process, already underway, marks a significant shift for one of Hollywood’s most influential talent executives and signals the ongoing ripple effects from renewed disclosures in the Epstein case.
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